Tales of the Gallant Rogue
by guyw1tn0nam3
Summary: Set before the Hundred Years War, follow a girl whose quiet life is disturbed by a band of mercenaries lead by a mysterious swordsman. As she learns of their murky pasts, we also learn of Toph, the grandmother of the greatest Earthbender alive.
1. Earth Rumble I

**A/N: So I was once again on unannounced hiatus. Things were just pretty busy and stuff. Anyway, while I'm pondering my next move for the Wingless, I thought I'd start another one to just for funzies. This _is _my summer, and I can do whatever the hell I want. Enjoy. ^_^**

**I've always wanted to know how badass Toph's grandma was.**

**Plot Summary: **Set before the Hundred Years War, follow a girl whose quiet life is disturbed by a band of mercenaries lead by a mysterious swordsman. As she learns of their murky pasts, we also learn of Toph, the grandmother of the greatest Earthbender alive.

* * *

**1. Earth Rumble I**

"You figured this out too late!"

Four figures emerged from the bushes around her, weapons drawn. She could sense them; she _knew _they were there now. But, as she stared at them above her head, sweat rolling down her forehead, white bandana bloodied and strewn over the floor, she knew one thing for certain.

She couldn't run away in time.

She wanted time to freeze. Time to think. Time to react. But there was none. The four shapes in the air descended down upon her, and as she turned her head toward that woman. That vile, blasted, filthy, mongrel of a woman, all she saw was a hint of a grin.

Four swords penetrated flesh, and Toph knew it was all over.

* * *

_If there was one incident I would like to forget, it would be the time when Roku went missing._

- _Ba Sing Se store owner_

* * *

A young boy ran across a field of grass. The sun loomed overhead, dipping into the horizon as day became night. The boy, with curious eyes and unquestionable enthusiasm scaled an upcoming hill, his hands feverishly grabbing, analyzing, inspecting, feeling. He had a petite face, with a pair of blue eyes and round ears. His mouth was small, perfect for kissing a mother good night.

At the top of the hill, stood a woman. Her green skirt blew in the night wind. She seemed to be staring into the distance, even though there was nothing that she could see. A piece of cloth, unfamiliar to the boy's memory was held loosely in her hands. The boy walked up to her, and tugged at her skirt.

"Mommy, it's time for dinner," said the boy. "Dad says you're going to overcook the meat."

For a while, she didn't answer, but the boy knew better than to talk to his mother when she was silent. The woman stood there for a long time, staring off into the general direction of the sun. As the boy turned to see what her mother's eyes were headed, he could make out a small shift in the earth. He thought he could see a nose, then a paw or two, and then nothing, as a badgermole family disappeared into their caves below.

"Come on Ling," the boy's mother spoke, her voice smooth and rid of emotion. "Let's go inside and help out your helpless father."

The boy nodded, and saw a small tear at the edge of his mother's eyes. "Does this mean we're not going to have story time tonight mommy?"

"Don't worry Ling," his mother smiled, rubbing her son's messy black hair. "I have a great story to tell tonight."

Dinner came and went, and there was silence at the table. The boy, Ling, had never seen his mother and father so quiet. His father even looked at Ling, as if Ling knew what had gone wrong with his mother! Minutes turned into an hour, and soon, Ling's mother stood up, wiped the food from her unfinished plate, and left the room.

That night, when Ling's mom tucked him into bed, Ling finally heard his mother speak again.

"You wanted story time, don't you Ling?" the mother spoke.

"Yes, but," Ling bit his lip. "Why have you been all quiet today mommy?"

"Well," the mother smiled, pulling the wool blankets over his son's body. Once again, Ling could see that same object in her mother's hands. "I've just had to be quiet to think about this story."

"Then it must be good then?" Ling asked, suddenly excited. He looked into his mother's eyes, but once again, saw nothing that betrayed her true emotions. Ling could feel some of his excitement go away.

"Yes," his mother said. "Very good."

Ling held onto his bed covers, and listened with eager ears.

"It all starts with the very first Earth Rumble. Not the one that took place in Gaoling where I came from, but the very first one that took place in Ba Sing Se. The one where all benders, Firebender, Waterbender, Airbender, and Earthbender, could participate in the games. It was a tournament to remember."

"It was the first rumble that your great grandmother won."

* * *

"Ladies and gentleman! Welcome to the very first, Earth Kingdom Earth Rumble tournament! Put your hands together for the very best benders in the world as they meet for this international tournament of champions!"

The roaring was now sensational. Thousands of fans cheering in the stages, rooting for this name and that name. Toph knew all of them. There was Whirlwind, a powerful Airbender exiled from the temple of the Air Monks. There was Infernal, a deadly Firebender who was known for never losing an Agni Kai. There was Tsunami, who was named after the sinking an entire convoy of bandit of ships with a single flick of her wrist.

And then there was Toph. A no name essentially. She had not won any tournaments. She had not done anything spectacular. Her last Earthbending fight ended when her opponent had hit himself in the head out of fright. There certainly wasn't anything special about plain old Toph. Daughter of no parents. Resident of no home. Sister of no siblings.

Luckily, the nickname, The Rogue, wasn't a frightening one, and made Toph the dark horse in this tournament, making her an unexpected opponent in the games.

A gong sounded in the corner of her ear, and Toph, a sixteen year old girl wearing a muddy green skirt and a white bandana around her forehead, was pushed into a ring with Tremor, a giant man with Earthbending abilities that were presumably _legendary_. He carried a large sword behind his back, and wore nothing but a large pair of green shorts in honor of his Kingdom.

Toph showed no emotion as she walked into a crowd that was clearly favoring her opponent. Instead, she inspected her clothing, her gear, to make sure that all things were kept neat and battle ready. Her hair was tucked back in a pony tail to avoid getting caught blinded during the fight. Her swords were hanging loosely from her back, the sheaths tied down at the waist, and her white bandana was tied nice and tight.

"Ok, I know they seed the best weak opponents at the start of every tournament," Tremor chuckled. "But come on! They have got to be kidding to let me fight you. I'd pound you flat! What's the matter? Did your mother send you to the wrong pedicure store?"

The crowd laughed. But little did they know, that Toph had already proven she was ready for the tournament. Just like Tremor, the tournament scouts had denied her entry into the tournament. Then, when she had beaten the snot out of all three scouts, then pounded their boss into submission, and leveled their tournament camp, it was a matter of time before she figured out where the entry forms were hidden.

So Toph said nothing, just steadied her hand around her sword, and bended a piece of dirt into her hand. She rubbed the dirt firmly before letting it fall to the floor. It was solid firm dirt, but mixed in with rainwater from last night. That made the material slippery, and more difficult for an Earthbender to bend, and easier for a sword user to cut. That was going to be important later on.

"No answer?" Tremor laughed, and to respect his name, the stadium rumbled in response. "Fine. Don't think I'm gonna go easy on you missy. This is just warm up for the finals."

"Your move." Toph, drew her sword in one fluid motion. The metal glistened in the moonlight, and the handle worn from countless times of practice. "I'm not afraid of men who tremble before a woman."

The crowd oohed at such courage, and the Tremor snarled, his hands grappling the floors of the stage. "Don't say I didn't warn you missy," he growled.

The floor beneath Toph's feet exploded. Bits and pieces of rock and boulder came flying from the surface of the stage, sending Toph spinning into the air. For a moment, the crowd cheered violently, believing their champion had easily defeated a girl that was surely flying off the stage.

But to their surprise, Toph did no such thing. Instead, she gracefully planted a foot on one of the boulders that was flying haphazardly in midair, and pushed herself back onto the stage, landing with a noticeable rumble that left even Tremor in genuine surprise. Sword still in hand, Toph stood, her eyes steady and unwavering as she stared down the great Tremor in a short but stiff silence.

"My turn," Toph grinned, as she felt a sudden euphoria, a sudden realization hit her. It was exhilarating, and the adrenaline would not stop there, because she knew. She knew she could actually do this. She could win. She _would _win.

She charged, sword in hand, as swiftly as the wind could carry her. The crowd's cheers slowly grew softer as the earth beneath Toph's feet shifted in accordance with her body, accelerating her charge. Tremor, now shaking off the momentary surprise, gripped the sword tightly in his hands and swung fiercely to meet The Rogue in combat.

Their swords clashed for the first and last time. Toph's incredible charge, the swiftness of her stroke, and perfectly timed impact all paid off as the crowd watched, awestruck, as Tremor's massive sword was ripped out of the muscle bound man's hand and flung off the stage, unable to withstand such a bone crushing charge.

Toph, now sensing an opening, took it. As Tremor tried to bring up a piece of Earth to use as a shield, Toph merely swung her sword to cut away the muddied earth, and used her left hand to send a huge boulder into Tremor's midsection. Tremor let out an audible gasp of surprise as he struggled to get a grip on the slippery piece of rock that Toph had flung at him. Toph didn't give him any chance, however, and with unparalleled speed hit the boulder that Tremor was holding with a violent kick.

The boulder shot forward rapidly, with Tremor still holding onto it. It soared toward the edge of the stage, passed the stage, and into the walls of the stadium, where the massive rock collided with the metal walls of the stadium, exploding into a million pieces, and leaving numerous dents on the wall. At the bottom of the stadium now, with pebbles piling up around him. was Tremor, his eyes in utter shock and surprise, his hands and legs visibly shaking.

People in the stadium grew awfully quiet, but Toph didn't mind. Breathing heavily, Toph shook off the dirt from her skirt, and sheathed her sword back in the belt. Taking a moment to look at the circle of people that were watching her from the stadium, she watched as none of them even moved from their seats. So taken aback. So surprised.

She looked back at the announcer, and with a smirk, she said.

"Who's next?"

* * *

**So Toph's great grandma is conveniently called Toph as well. Hmm. I wonder where this is going eh?**

**I like it.**

**Read and Review please!**


	2. Meeting

**A/N: **Hope the people that did read the first chapter enjoyed it. I sure as hell know that I love writing this story. Well anyway, I'ma keep on writing, and you guys keep on reading….and maybe reviewin' if you have the chance.

And if you have not noticed, I changed Avatar Kyoshi to Avatar Roku. That is simply because I forgot that Roku existed. I'm still trying to wrestle around with the timeline, so bare with me.

**Plot Summary:** Set before the Hundred Years War, follow a girl whose quiet life is disturbed by a band of mercenaries lead by a mysterious swordsman. As she learns of their murky pasts, we also learn of Toph, the grandmother of the greatest Earthbender alive.

**Disclaimer:**Avatar: The Last Airbender and all characters and other Avatar world details are © Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko, Viacom. No money was made from writing and publishing this fanfiction.

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**2. Meeting**

_"You're name is Toph Bei Fong you say? Toph…where have I heard that name before?"_

_Senior Resident, Ba Sing Se_

* * *

Unlike the muscle bound Tremor, Whirlwind was a slimmer young fellow, fully clothed in the customary orange robes of the air monks. His temper was also much better, and with a calmer demeanor came a much more dangerous opponent. His attacks were more subtle, probing left and right with small wisps of air to catch Toph off balance. Toph soon learned that it was all part of his strategy. An Airbender was never fond of close quarters combat, which explained why Whirlwind always carried that finely crafted bow so close to him at all times.

It was a grueling affair, with the crowd moaning and groaning as the match turned from the mere seconds of its beginnings to the minutes of its extension. For the first few minutes, Toph thought that if she could step within two meters of her opponent, the match would be over in seconds. In the twenty minutes that followed, Toph prayed for it to happen. Every time she charged, the Airbender would merely swipe her away with a gust of air. At such a distance, the Airbender was comfortable firing shots with his bow, having already clipped Toph twice in the arm.

Now, sticking true to his nickname, the Airbender hurled himself high in the air. As he rotated rapidly, a twister materialized around him, sealing the Airbender tightly in a large pocket of air. Toph watched as Whirlwind sent huge bursts of air surging towards her. In her defense she brought up an earth tent, and could feel the trembling of her shield as torrents of highly compressed air slammed against the surface of the barrier.

"It looks like Whirlwind is no longer playing any games," the announcer roared, much to the audience's delight as they cheered at this new violent development. "He wants to finish this ladies and gentleman! Can The Rogue stand this constant bludgeoning from the Airbender?"

"No!" cried the crowd. Though shocked at the defeat Tremor, it seemed most, if not all of the spectators were still under the impression that Toph had won through luck, and was in no means, as skilled as she appeared to be. "No! No! No!"

Suddenly, as the crowd continued to chanted feverishly over the sound of Whirlwind's incessant attacks, Toph's tent broke apart, sending slabs of earth flying in every which direction. As Whirlwind's attacks collided with the walls of the earth tent, the huge chunks shattered and sent bits of dust and rock into the air, clouding the view of the stage. The dust mushroomed upward, enveloping the Airbender as he struggled to see where his opponent had gone.

The swirling twister around the Airbender grew, and Whirlwind used it to clear away the debris. As the dust was flung aside and scattered amongst the audience members, Whirlwind dispersed the cyclone around him, and landed to get a clear sight at where Toph had been hiding just moments before. Toph was gone, but the spot where she once stood was now collapsed under a small tunnel that caved its way deep beneath the stage.

Whirlwind's eyes grew wide as he quickly leaped into the air, expecting Toph to burst from the stage with sword in hand. He drew his bow, and readied his arrow. The crowd gasped, and all noise subsided as Whirlwind's track of time vanished.

"Hey!" a voice hollered behind the Airbender. Whirlwind didn't even have time to react, as Toph soared from the _ceiling, _and planted a pair of fists into his midsection. The momentum knocked the blow knocked the air quite literally out of his lungs. The Airbender gasped for breath as a smiling Toph gave the monk a wink. "Didn't think I'd try fighting you in the _air_ right?"

_I see, _Whirlwind swore to himself for not realizing it. _She used the dust cloud to hide herself while she was jumping into the air. She must've used the tunnel merely as a distraction. That was careless of me._

Hurling at tremendous speeds, Toph and Whirlwind crashed into the middle of the stage. The Airbender was instantly knocked unconscious, his body tossed aside like a rag doll across the ring. Toph slid opposite to the Airbender, and observed that though she had used the monk as a shield against the impact, both of her hands were still shaking from the impact and bleeding profusely from numerous cuts and scrapes along her fingertips and the bottom of her palms.

Toph turned her head at her opponent. Not moving yet. His body looked as if multiple bones had been shattered on impact, and numerous others twisted in awkward positions. As the healers rushed onto stage to pick up the heavily wounded monk, Toph could see Whirlwind's eyes open and close. Toph breathed a sigh of relief. Though she was glad she had won, she was happier that her actions had not killed her fellow competitor.

Still, as Toph struggled to rise, she noticed that once again, the crowd had become dead silent. Every muscle in her body, every will in her mind told her not to care. Everything told her that appreciation came not from the crowd, but from a self-satisfied sense of worth. But despite this, Toph could not help feeling furious, could not help thinking that for all her training, not even one person in the crowd would acknowledge her for it.

"Here," a hand reached out to Toph. Her white bandana hung loosely from the fingertips. Toph looked up, and saw the face of the announcer smiling back at her. With a dark grey beard growing from his chin and a pair of eyes that told the tale of wisdom, the announcer was older than she had expected. "You dropped this. Tough crowd isn't it? Just ignore them. They're just sad that someone this young is beating all their favorites for winning the tournament."

There was an audible muttering in the crowd, as the announcer, dressed in the clothes of a wealthy merchant, dirtied his hands and clothes to assist a limping and bleeding Toph off the stage. While being taken off the stage, Toph could finally hear distinct claps in the distance, followed by murmurs of approval that weren't just directed at the announcer's kindness.

"So what," the announcer started when they left the halls of the stadium. "Is a sixteen year old girl like you fighting in a rumble with all these veterans? Wouldn't your parents object?"

"No," Toph shook her head. "That's probably the last thing on their minds."

"Well," the announcer looked back at the stadium. "The preliminary rounds are done for today, and you've beaten two of the five top seeded fighters in the tournament. Why don't we get you home, wash up, and I can explain things to your parents? If they don't mind of course."

"But," Toph said. But as she started, she found the announcer already pulling on her arm. "I don't think they'd really care."

"Oh come on," the announcer replied. "I'm sure it'll be fine. There's no harm in at least explaining why you're bruised and bleeding right?"

"Fine," Toph sighed. There was no point in arguing. "I warned you, Mr.…?"

"Just call me Yun," he said. "No need for formalities here. After all, I'm not your parents right?"

He laughed, and together, they walked down the dreary streets of Ba Sing Se. Lanterns were unlit, shops were closed. Even the lemurs refused to wander around the roads, scared of the street dogs that lurked in the shadow of the alleyways. Between them, a silence settled in, but strangely enough, it was a silence that was comfortable. Toph had very little to say, and Yun knew that he had said all there needed to be said. They walked, in mutual understanding of each other's predicament, each knowing that their encounter would be more pleasant if they just remained silent.

Suddenly, however, Yun couldn't help but notice that they were moving farther and farther away from the city, and closer and closer to the gates. When he turned to Toph, though, she walked as calmly as ever, as if she didn't notice that she was bringing them closer to the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. The array of flashing lights became mere dots behind them, and Yun could no longer see the stadium that had been clear just minutes before.

"Aren't we walking to your house?" Yun asked. "I was under the impression that you have a house, am I correct?"

"Of course I do," Toph snapped. "I just don't live where most people live. I told you I warned you."

As they reached the gates, a pair of guards greeted them. Yun expected the two to stop them, but Toph talked as if she knew these two for the longest time. She smiled, and they willingly opened a narrow passageway between the legendary gates of Ba Sing Se. As she waved them good night, another pair of guards came running towards the gate. Yun thought that they were going to arrest him for unwarranted passage. Instead, he saw the two men fill their eyes with awe as they stared at the pair.

"I had no idea you had such fond fans," Yun murmured. "You'd think they were your personal fan club or something."

"It happens when they think you're an amazing Earthbender," Toph shrugged, but there was a hint of pride in her voice. "You think it's easy to get them to open the gate now? Well that's because I told them that if they didn't open it, I'd forcefully open it myself. They didn't believe me until I did."

"That's impossible. It takes a platoon of _men_ just to fully open that gate," Yun remarked. "That's why there's no army other than an army of Earthbenders that can breach the walls."

"Not from where I live," said Toph. But Yun's face told her that he still didn't believe her. "You can do anything if you learn it the right way. You sure you want to follow me?"

"What?" Yun smiled. "Just because we're walking outside the walls? Don't worry, Rogue. I really don't have all that much to lose. Besides, I know how to take care of myself."

"Suit yourself," Toph shrugged, getting a glimpse of the steel tinted sword hanging in the shadows of Yun's cloak.

They walked beyond the outskirts of the city, and Yun wondered whether or not it was a bad idea to come out here. The lush green trees that outlined the streets of the city had been replaced by dead wood that pointed in no distinct direction. Yet, Toph still walked, venturing beyond the road and off the path into a deep forest of old wood and untouched earth. A full moon shone overhead, but even with all the light to reveal the crevices of the darkest corners of the woods, Yun could feel a shiver crawl up in his spine.

Toph must've known it too, because she grabbed onto Yun's right arm, and led him past the ominous trees that seemed to have grown eyes of their own, past the creek that poured small drips of water down towards the great sea, and past the echoes and cries of the wolves whose bellies had long been empty. She walked, so fearlessly, so confidently, as if she knew that where she walked, the wolves would not tread.

And then. Yun saw it. A massive cave stood in the middle of a clearing that must've marked the center of the vast forest. The opening was marked with a spear that had been rooted in the floor. A wooden board was strapped to the pole, and read _Toph_. The cave itself was dark, with no hint of light escaping what seemed to be an endless tunnel. Still, despite its mysterious appearance, the cave's exterior was free of any rough edges and surfaces. It seemed as if someone had come and paved the cave's surface clean and smooth.

"Here we are," Toph sighed, pulling Yun forward. "Let's go. If you still want to go in, of course."

"You live _here_?" Yun asked, disbelieving. "My gosh this is a cave!"

"This is home," Toph replied bluntly. "Call it whatever you want, but when you have nowhere else to go, you tend to pick the next best thing. Mine just happened to be the biggest cave in all of the forest. Besides, I'm an Earthbender. I can make do with whatever's out there."

"And your parents live here?" Yun shook his head. There was no possible way a family would raise their child in such a disgusting mess such as this cave. "You can't seriously expect me to believe that your parents raised such a powerful girl in a cave like this?"

"They don't," Toph admitted. "My foster parents live here though. They picked me up when my parents left me. Are you going in or not? Because if you're not, I'll just go say hi to my parents myself. My house is not that bad of a mess if you get used to it after a while."

Toph walked on without Yun, picking up a fallen torch on her way towards the cave. Taking a quick swipe at the floor, Toph lit the torch aflame, shedding light into the cave, revealing a smoothened passageway that was tiled with small bits and pieces of cobblestone. Against the walls were small candlesticks and torches of various shapes and sizes that were aligned against the walls of the cave. Then, Yun finally noticed that at the head of the cave was a small statue, crafted undoubtedly from Earthbending.

The statue was one of an animal. One with a massive body, crawling on four legs, and sharp claws at the fringes of its finger tips. It had the long tail that was reminiscent of the largest of rats. It had large ears, and a pair of eyes that had long been blinded by the darkness from where it ventured.

_A badgermole? Yun thought._

"Hey!" Toph shouted back at a perplexed Yun. "You coming or what? Or are you scared?"

At this point, Yun decided that very little harm could come to exploring a seemingly harmless cave. He ran towards Toph and gave another one of his classic smiles. "I thought you were trying to get rid of me this entire time. But if you insist, I guess I'll join you. I really no choice with all these wolves around."

"I don't get a lot of company," was all Toph would say, turning her back to him.

Into the cave they went, and Yun found it to be more magnificent than some of the most beautiful homes in Ba Sing Se. Small figurines of Earthbenders and past Avatars were crafted against the walls. Portraits of Ba Sing Se, imprinted against the caves. Crystals, many of them sparkling as the light touched them, were lined along the roof of the cave, illuminating the darkness around them. Statues of badgermoles were planted along the borders of the cave walls, and the crystalline lights stuck to the walls led Toph and Yun deeper into the cave.

"Who did all of this? Is it your parents," Yun spoke in awe. "If so, your foster parents must be excellent Earthbenders. It almost makes my house look like it needs reworking."

"They're Earthbenders all right, but they didn't really do this," Toph muttered. "They don't really care a lot about art."

"Oh?" Yun raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Then who did?"

They approached the end of the long passageway as the walls slowly came closer together. At the end of the tunnel was a door. Crafted from earth, the door was marked with exquisite designs that Yun could tell had been borrowed from the emblems of rich families, pictures of mythological tales, and the symbols of legendary heroes. With a small push of her hand, Toph caused the door to slide open, revealing light and the sound of water on the other side of the door. Toph motioned Yun to enter.

"I did." Toph grinned, her tone failing to mask her pride. "Didn't you hear that you always have to leave it to girls for home designing? Well here's your proof."

When Yun stepped inside, he could not hold in his astonishment. A gasp escaped his lips, as he stood before an enormous room, lined with glittering genamite crystals that shed lights of all different colors. The walls were lined with stone arches that extended itself to a dome ceiling from which hung a massive chandelier. From where they were standing, Yun could walk down a flight of stairs that led to a vast plain covered in almost nothing but pure earth and grass.

In the middle of the field was a modest looking house. Made entirely from earth, Yun could see the hint of a girl's clothes lined along the inside of the house and a small mattress lying just beyond a pair of windows.

And at the end of the room, Yun could see where the sounds of water had come from. Water spewed from a crevice in the wall, pouring into a pool of water that found its way into a pitch black hole that led deeper into the caves. Even from here, Yun could make out the distant shapes of small fish and gleaming plant life.

But what surprised Yun the most wasn't the enormity of the room. It wasn't the beautiful design of the archways and smoothness of the ceiling. It wasn't the simplicity of the house nor the beautiful field of grass upon which it lay. It wasn't even the pool of water that was teeming with life.

No, what surprised Yun most was a set of eyes that looked straight back at him. Peculiar eyes, eyes of curiosity that gave no signs of fear or anger. A wet nose sniffed at his presence, and the whiskers of the animal tingled in response to Yun's foreign smell. The animal was large, its growl loud and strong, and its claws sharp and powerful. Yun shivered, and could feel his fears and anxiety in the form of his shaking body.

"Hey pa, I'm back," Toph shut the door behind them, and looked at Yun's shaking body and surprised eyes. "Yun, it seems you're already getting acquainted with the family."

"P-Pa? F-f-family?" Yun stuttered as he tried putting on a smile. "Uh. H-Happy to m-meet you."

The badgermole looked at Yun for a moment, then back at Toph. Toph, her face calm and composed, gave a wink to the animal, and nodded. At that point, the badgermole returned its attention to Yun, its unseeing and blind eyes feeling the quick and furious vibrations of a man who was on the brink of a heart attack.

And then, Yun heard something. In all of his years and all of his misadventures, this one must have been the most exciting and compelling. Because what he heard, he would never forget for the rest of his life.

"I'm surprised," the badgermole spoke, with a mild chuckle to his voice. "And here I was thinking my daughter Toph would be nothing more than the Princess of the Badgermoles."

Yun fainted immediately.

* * *

**A/N: **Genamite crystal, if anyone was wondering where that's from, is the crystal you saw in Book 1 where Aang and the Gaang go to Omashu and find King Bumi. The crystal was used to almost encase Sokka and Katara.

I also promised myself that I won't write as many fight scenes as before. The reason is because I feel like this story I'm writing now is driven less by the action sequences and a crazy action filled plot than the other stories that I've been writing for the last few years. This is why this chapter, while it started with a quick and neat action sequence (which I thought was pretty cool), ended with a curious interaction and extended trip between Toph and an OC that became more symbolic in nature than the usual fighting that I would've had.

My original concept of the chapter was to finish the entire tournament off the bat, and to write in this entire massive fight scene that would basically be as long, if not longer than this chapter. But I realized that I sort of didn't want to have a massive battle between The Rogue and a bunch of other no names. I think it was important to develop who _this_ Toph is in comparison to the Toph that we know.

While Toph Bei Fong is that loud mouthed girl who loves riding her emotional rollercoasters, this Toph, in my opinion, seems more reserved and quiet about her opinions. Life of poverty, and...with the ending of this chapter, life with badgermoles, seems to have affected her perspective on life and has made her more quiet and introverted than the Bei Fong counterpart.

And it's things like that made me want to write less action, and more things that would've related to the development of Granny Toph's character.

I'm hoping that such interactions are just as enjoyable as I felt really good after reading over the entirety of the chapter.

Anyway, I'm really thankful for **yuri2481** for writing a review for me. I'm driven mostly based on the reactions that people get from this story, and I'm glad that it was enjoyable.

So...**Read and review? **:D


	3. Lodge of the Badger Princess

**A/N:**So I flipped a coin to see what I would start writing first. And I got to write Chapter 3 of this story. While I really want to write Wingless, ideas are currently not flowing into my head at this point, and I really want to write maybe one or two more chapters for this story before jumping back on Wingless. This is probably because I need some ideas to formulate in my head as the next chapter might be a little convoluted and confusing.

Anyway, to those who are reading _this _story, I hope you guys continue to enjoy it! If anything, I think I'm going to be changing the summary of this story, and changing the characters. In all honesty, I don't think Sokka is going to appear until…the last four paragraphs of this story.

Enjoy guys! Read and review!

**Plot Summary:** Set before the Hundred Years War, follow a girl whose quiet life is disturbed by a band of mercenaries lead by a mysterious swordsman. As she learns of their murky pasts, we also learn of Toph, the grandmother of the greatest Earthbender alive.

**Disclaimer: **Avatar: The Last Airbender and all characters and other Avatar world details are © Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko, Viacom. No money was made from writing and publishing this fanfiction.

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**3. The Lodge of the Badger Princess**

"_Oh! I see you've taken an interest in that trophy there. Ah yes. What a trophy that is. It belonged to the champion of the very first Earth Rumble tournament. That's when Katsui, the youngest and purest of six legendary swordsmen, was near unbeatable."_

_Earth Kingdom Historian_

* * *

Yun woke to the sound of conversation and the smell of deep fried fish. He found himself lying face up on a clean white mattress, with a wool blanket pulled over his body. Surrounding him was a house made of earth. From where he was inside, he could smell the aroma of catfish sizzling on a wok over a hot fire, and he could hear the voices of Toph and her talking badgermole relative.

"So you have school today?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want to go to school?"

"Of course. What makes you think otherwise? Look, Pa, you don't need to sound like all the other parents. We all know badgermoles aren't experts when it comes to sending their children off to school. I'll be fine. I've already fought my way into school, so there's no reason to turn back now."

"No. It's not that. Are you sure you want to go to school in your current condition?"

"What, you mean my clothes? Oh, I'll be fine. I thought badgermoles could care less about appearances."

"We don't care. But as far as I know, humans do."

There was a momentary pause.

"I'll be fine. I've been to school before. Yun, you can stop eavesdropping and come out here. Breakfast is ready."

Breakfast; Yun widened his eyes. How long had he been sleeping? Pulling his covers off of him, Yun saw that his outer coat and sword had been taken off, and upon scanning the room, he found them hanging from a coat hanger that stood beside the door. As he was pulling the dusty old jacket over his arms, and tying the ropes that hung to his sheath around his waist, Toph opened the door with a plate of steamy hot fish in hand.

"How'd you know I was listening in?" said Yun, scratching his hair and laughing. "I guess I sort of slept through all the action right?"

"Fainted would be a better word for it. Here, I know you didn't eat anything last night," Toph handed him the plate. Her eyes, when she looked at him, seemed distant. "I need to prepare for school."

Yun sat the doorstep of Toph's house, listening to the rustling of clothes, the stream of water, and the growl of a badgermole, whose eyes seemed to never leave Yun's face. As Yun chewed on his small plate of fried fish, he shifted his eyes toward the animal, locking his own dark eyes with its blind ones. It was the same one from last night. Yun knew because there was that same noticeably large cut along the beast's left eye, leaving a scar that tapered off to the side of the badgermole's head.

The badgermole looked away for a moment, locked its jaws around a slice of cooked fish, and swallowed it whole. Once it returned its attention to Yun, a single look from its eye told Yun what the animal wanted him to do. He wanted Yun to talk.

"So," Yun spoke slowly. The idea of a talking badgermole had not sunk in yet. Inside, Yun still wondered if what he had heard last night and this morning had been all but a fanatical dream, and all he was doing was talking to a regular mute badgermole. "Y-You're Toph's foster parent?"

"Is it so surprising?" the badgermole asked, its deep male voice penetrating and firm. The clarity of its tone robbed Yun of all his reservations and doubt. "Where do you think she learned her Earthbending from? Or are you more surprised that I am making sounds beyond that of a mere growl?"

"B-Both," Yun said. "I've never even heard of talking badgermoles before, much less seen one. W-Well, I mean talking creatures in general. That's only things you hear about in fables. Myths. Legends. I couldn't have possibly imagined that t-they had been true."

"Those who do not wish to wander across the cursed plains of the Spirit World manifest themselves in physical form," the badgermole explained. "They tether their souls to your world, because they wish to become the guardians of your race. I, along with few scattered across this world, am all that remains of the ancients that chose to stay in the mortal realm."

"W-What do you mean by _few_?" Yun inquired. "There are so many badgermoles now that some of the wealthy merchants can even keep them as personal pets!"

"Bah!" the beast's tone reeked of disgust. "A degeneration of my race. So immersed in the caves they dwell in that they have forgotten not only the simple dialect of man but also the sacred tongue of our species. They are nothing more than cave dwellers, blind to the true nature of their power."

"Is that upsetting to you?" said Yun.

"There was a time when all badgermoles could speak in your dialect," the badgermole said. "If you were as old as I am, you'd be upset too to see your children grow up with no ability to speak to you. Those who still remember the gift of language are now only wandering guardians."

"So that means you're a guardian of this forest," Yun concluded.

"In some form, yes," the badgermole nodded. "Lord Okano of the Earth, as my brethren would call me. I tend to the earth beneath the forest, cleansing it of impurities, so that if they wish, humans may choose to allow this forest to prosper and grow."

"But," Yun wondered aloud. "How did you become Toph's parent then?"

"It was not my initial intention to take her under my care," the badgermole admitted.

It was at this moment in time that Toph stepped outside. The bandana that Yun had returned to her the night before and the white band that Toph used to tie her hair in a ponytail was no longer fastened to her head, revealing lengthy hair that feel easily to Toph's upper back. She wore a sleeveless green shirt that bore the seal of the Earth Kingdom on its back, and a pair of shorts of a dark green hue. The edges of her shorts were noticeably ripped and torn. Her shirt had been splashed with mud, staining the clothing with splotches of brown.

"You're going to school in that?" Yun widened his eyes. "What about a school uniform?"

"I never had any money for one," Toph shrugged. "And this is really the only pair of clothes I can still wear. The rest of them are ones that I've outgrown. I can't wear the ones that I took to Earth Rumble either, because I still have to use those tonight."

Toph walked over to the fire she had built, and covered it with dirt to extinguish the flames. Grabbing a brown leather bag that was settled next to the fireplace, Toph hefted it over to her shoulder and waved towards the badgermole.

"I'm going now Pa. I'll be back late tonight," she said. "Can you tell Ma that when she gets back?"

"M-Ma?" Yun was startled. "You mean you're telling me there's _another _talking badgermole around here?"

"Lady Hua of the Soil," Lord Okano explained. "While I tend to the roots of the Earth, she tends to the soil and the waste you humans casually throw into our woods. I will tell her Toph. "

Toph then turned her attention to Yun. "Yun, you and Pa seem to be having a wondrous conversation. Carry on if you want, but if that's the case, you'll have to stay until I get back. The wolves are bolder during the day for some reason, and Ma and Pa won't deal with the wolves for you."

"I must leave for something as well, though it's unfair to say that I can't defend myself. I do have a sword you know," Yun replied, and turning to Lord Okano, made sure to take a deep bow. "It was a grand pleasure meeting you Lord Okano. May you and your forest live and prosper. Your hospitality is much appreciated."

"And so are your formalities." Lord Okano watched as Toph shrugged and walked away into the darkness of the outer caves. His eyes roamed back towards Yun. "Though before you leave here, I hope that you won't mind a few questions. How old are you, Yun?"

"Too old for marrying I would say," Yun grinned. He held up a hand, showing a golden ring fitted with a perfectly carved emerald on his ring finger.

"But not too old for parenting I hope?"

Yun stopped smiling. He turned his head to see the Toph's shadow move farther and farther from the caves, her ears just out of earshot of the conversation. Parenting? He hadn't heard that word in a long time. He stood still for a moment, and pondered deep in thought.

"You want to get rid of her?" Yun asked.

"What are you, mad?" the badgermole laughed. "She cooks the best fish that I've ever tasted. She is perhaps the most studious of Earthbenders that I've ever known. And beyond that, Lady Hua and I have always wanted a child. And because we chose to not have any of our own, Toph has been the best of alternatives. She even created this amazing home for the two of us. We could not be more grateful of her."

"Then why ask me about parenting?" Yun said.

"Because you saw her just now," Lord Okano's sighed. "We're not a family that indulges itself in riches and beauty, but we know that Toph's family must have been. We badgermoles know humility when it exists. Why should I hold back someone like her when she deserves much better? Here, take a look at this."

The badgermole tapped the ground with a tip of its claws, and beneath the earth under Lord Okano came a beautifully woven straw baby carriage. The basket shaped carriage slid along the earth and parked itself in front of Yun. Inside was a mass of blue cotton sheets that covered the bottom of the basket. A pink pillow was rested against the side of the basket and imprinted on it was the seal of a peculiar symbol that Yun knew all too well.

Next to the pillow was a letter and from it, Yun read:

_To those who come across this carriage,_

_This is our daughter. While we have given her a name, I think it would be mutually beneficial to not give it to you. All you need to know is that as her parents, we can no longer afford to keep her by our side. Take care of her well. She is yours to name._

"No seal. No symbols. There's not even a signature on this," Yun whispered to himself. "Wait. How'd you read this?"

"The people who left Toph were in a hurry to leave as quickly as possible," Lord Okano explained. "Her basket was placed next to a tree beside this forest, and ignored for an entire day. She was such a quiet and obedient girl, Toph. She refused to cry, and when Lady Hua first found her, she was busy sleeping in this same basket."

"At that time, there was an old hunter who regularly visited our forest," the badgermole continued. "He was a very spiritual man, and he knew of me. It did not take much for us to ask him what this letter had been saying. It had been my intention to hand the baby to him, but it was Lady Hua who insisted that she take Toph as her own."

"I may be blind, old and growing senile," said Lord Okano. "But that doesn't mean I don't know a good father when he comes along. No ordinary rich man that's too old for marrying follows a sixteen year old girl through these woods and into this cave for no good reason. Because I've already ruled that you are not a perverted scoundrel, I can only imagine that you've developed a platonic interest in my daughter."

"Your words are very kind, but with all due respect," Yun chuckled and turned away. "I'm sorry, but you'd best be putting your faith elsewhere. I'm most definitely not fit to be a parent. Thank you for your compliments, but I must refuse. I have to be going."

"If she asked would you say yes?" Lord Okano watched as Yun continued to walk towards the tunnel. When he reached it, he stopped for a moment, his hand tight on the surface of the wall. "You two are mere acquaintances that have met if only through fate. I do not expect you to say yes. I merely wish to say that Toph has never allowed anyone to come here before, and the time is coming for her to move in with her own people."

"I just gave her bandana back to her," Yun explained. "I didn't ask to have responsibility over her."

"Perhaps you feel it to be nothing more than a small gesture of kindness and that your involvement has meant nothing to us," Lord Okano replied. "But if you know anything about Toph, know that she has not been treated very kindly throughout her life. To my knowledge, Toph has never formed a true bond with a human. You may very well be the first acquaintance that has ever showed her a grain of kindness. "

"Toph has never known what it has truly meant to be human," Lord Okano continued. "For the last sixteen years I have waited for an opportunity to give Toph a chance to feel what it is like to have clothes that aren't what we find laying in the forests. Forgive me if I have rushed my proposition, but I was just sensing hope that my wait is finally over."

Yun sighed, his eyes closing to let himself relax for a moment.

"Yes. You did rush it. There are some things in this world that I'm just not ready for," Yun said finally. "And being a parent again is one of them. I came here only out of sympathy, and I didn't expect this. It's all too much for me to consume at once. Still, I guess time will tell if I can accept your offer, but I hope when the time does come, it will not be you asking me for it."

"But if it makes you feel any better, I shall be rooting and watching out for her in the games."

And without waiting for a reply, Yun walked silently from the badgermole's lodge and into the darkness.

* * *

When Yun had cleared his mind and shaken off the fears that had embedded themselves into his spine, he found his way back through the tunnels. It was as if he was walking from one world to the next, abandoning the luxurious world of Toph's home and back into a desolate forest in the middle of nowhere. As he watched a cloudy sky begin to pour rain over the forest, Yun almost regretted his decision to leave the cave.

It was at this point that he saw a girl walking towards him, a makeshift umbrella made from Earth hanging over her head. As the rain tapped itself lightly on Yun's graying hair, Toph extended the umbrella over Yun's head, covering him as the rain grew in strength.

"I thought you said you had to go to school," Yun said with surprise. "Aren't you going to be late?"

"School doesn't start for another hour, and I can get there fifteen minutes at the most," Toph replied. "Besides, I could tell you weren't going to talk with my father much longer, and I wouldn't want you to walk back home drenched in water."

"Well, that's kind of you," Yun grinned.

"Don't mention it," Toph shrugged. "You came here for _me_, remember? I should be the one complimenting you about your kindness. I'm just returning the favor."

Yun soon found himself walking along the familiar paths back to the city. As the dark bark of the trees stopped casting their shadows over him and the wolves drew away, the two of them could finally see the grand walls of Ba Sing Se in the distance. As they approached, the two guards from the night before waved lazily at them, and parted the walls for the two to cross. Toph smiled, and thanked them again.

"I hope Pa didn't make it too rough for you," Toph said as they walked the narrow passageway between the walls. "He's never been the greatest conversationalist."

"Oh no," Yun smiled, pushing the thoughts of adoption far to the back of his mind. "Your Pa's an interesting…being. It was fun talking to him."

"I'm relieved," Toph sighed. "For a minute I thought he was going to trample you. You wouldn't even imagine what he did to the other people I brought to the cave."

"W-what!" Yun gasped. "B-but he said you never brought anyone back to the caves with you."

"He lied," Toph's face turned dark, her voice icy cold and her fists clenched tightly around the umbrella. "The reason why it seems as if no one has ever gone into the caves is because no one has ever left them. Pa kills them all."

Yun could feel his face drain of all blood and color, turning his cheeks into a deathly pale hue. He turned over to Toph, whose scary eyes told him that she _must _be telling the truth. A cold shiver ran down Yun's spine, and he could only imagine the horrors that Lord Okano's victims had faced just moments before their death.

"He's a ruthless animal, Pa," Toph continued, her deathly tone haunting Yun's imagination. "I don't know why he let you live for long. The only reason why I'm still alive is because I cook fish for him. Maybe he let you live because you were standing on the grave of one of the fresher corpses and he had nowhere to bury you. And don't get me started on Ma."

At that point, Yun had turned practically into a member of the dead, his paces slowing down, his back slouching, and his eyes dazed as he tried to contemplate Toph's words. He could even feel drool crawl down his mouth as he mumbled incoherently at her.

"B-b-but h-he s-said," Yun talked as if he was in a trance, so helplessly perplexed and scared of the horrors of a badgermole that his words came out jumbled and confused. "H-he a-asked m-me…h-he t-told me."

But suddenly, Yun stopped his incessant rambling to see Toph biting down on quivering lips. For a moment, Yun wondered if the girl was on the verge of crying. It wasn't until Toph burst out laughing and crying tears of mirth that Yun realized that the girl had only been trying to contain her laughter.

"I've always wanted to use that joke on someone," Toph howled with glee, clutching her stomach as tears sprung to her eyes. "And you fell for it so badly!"

"Wait," Yun paused, before frowning. It was only moments ago that Toph had presented herself in a collected manner. He had no idea that Toph was capable of such deviousness. "So your father isn't a man eating monster?"

"Of course not!" Toph said between bursts of giggles. She put a hand to her face, trying to calm herself down. "Ok. I'm sorry, Yun. That was rude of me to take advantage of your apparent fright of animals. I'm composed. I'm back to normal boring Toph that you thought you knew. Jeez, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time."

"Do you usually act like this?" Yun asked, finally feeling that relief that rolled over his shoulders. His heart had also stopped pounding so heavily. In his defense he tried to summon he most admonishing face he could imagine. "I can't imagine your schoolmates liking this very much if you all do you do is joke around with them."

"No, I don't. At least not at school," Toph confessed. "To tell you the truth, I'm not the most popular girl at school with the outfits I'm wearing. I guess you could say I just hang around by myself. But at least it gives me time to think up of pranks like this!"

Yun merely nodded, leaving the rest of his thoughts in his head.

"Anyway, thanks for walking with me, but I'm going to catch the train," Toph looked on as a monorail came down from the Middle Ring and parked at a station just around the next corner. Toph looked up at Yun, her eyes hopeful. "You'll be there at the games tonight right?"

"Yeah. I'll be cheering you on," Yun shook his head as he exhaled once again, trying to disperse the last remnants of his fears.

"I'm glad," Toph smiled, and began talking so fast that Yun almost missed it. "At least I'll have one fan this time around. I'll need it when I face Infernal. Did you know he's been in at least a hundred Agni Kai fights? Man, I get so nervous thinking about it. Oh! The train! You can keep the umbrella by the way. You'll need it to get home."

Toph dropped to her improvised umbrella, not noticing that without her Earthbending, the heavy umbrella fell onto Yun's shoulders.

"T-Toph," Yun grunted, gasping for breath as he wrapped his hands around the umbrella. "Your umbrella! It's too heavy! Wait! I need to catch the train too!"

But Toph didn't hear a word. She ran, her heart too filled with joy to care about how muddied her shoes were getting, yelling at the train official to wait for her to board. As she disappeared with the monorail, sliding along the tracks towards the Middle Ring, Yun was finally able to heave the umbrella off of his shoulders.

Yun took a moment to breath, before running under the nearest store for cover.

"That girl is quite a handful. Because of her, I'm going to have to wait another couple of minutes for the next train," Yun murmured to himself, wiping some of the water from his face with the sleeves of his coat. "Lord Okano, you cannot possible expect me to deal with this."

_Toph has never formed a true bond with a human, Lord Okano had said. You may very well be the first acquaintance that has ever showed her a grain of kindness._

"Great," Yun sighed, remembering that peculiar symbol embedded on that pink pillow. "It looks like I have work to do."


	4. Mask at School

**A/N:** Please enjoy another chapter of the Tales of the Gallant Rogue. Thanks for all the views/reviews. They're all greatly appreciated!

**Plot Summary:** Set before the Hundred Years War, follow a girl whose quiet life is disturbed by a band of mercenaries lead by a mysterious swordsman. As she learns of their murky pasts, we also learn of Toph, the grandmother of the greatest Earthbender alive.

**Disclaimer:**Avatar: The Last Airbender and all characters and other Avatar world details are © Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko, Viacom. No money was made from writing and publishing this fanfiction.

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**4. The Mask at School**

_"It took us a while to track it down for you, Ms. Bei Fong, but here it is. Funny, I remember being a teacher here once, though that was way after she came here. Anyway, have a look around! I'm sure some of her stuff is still plastered on the walls. She was a decent student just so you know."_

_Professor at Ba Sing Se University_

* * *

The school that Toph attended bordered between the middle and upper levels of Ba Sing Se. Like other prestigious schools in the city, it offered free education if you passed a special diagnostics test. Otherwise, you were paying gold for your child's education.

Toph knew that her parents, being who they were, wouldn't have had the money to pay for the expenses of school. But learning was important to her. Growing up in a life of poverty taught her that those without education would most often never get anywhere in life. Toph would never want that for herself, and studied hard by begging the local Middle Ring inhabitants for some learning materials.

Lord Okano had said that watching Toph leave to go beg for books was nothing short of embarrassing. Toph had merely replied by saying that she was willing to do whatever it took to get herself into school.

So when she passed the diagnostics test with only a slight margin for error, Toph couldn't help letting out her joy. She presented the paper to Pa, flashing it in front of him with beaming eyes, smiling as she told him to look at the paper.

"I'm blind," said Lord Okano. "I'm just going to assume you passed."

As a foster parent, Lord Okano was never very interested in Toph's education. When Toph asked why, he merely stated that it was just very un-lady like of Toph. The richest of ladies in Ba Sing Se, though they were most definitely allowed, usually didn't attend school at all. They would be pampered by their servants or they would go to the local spa, dressed in fashionable clothing and beautiful make up. The closest thing most upper class women had to an education was a haiku class in the Upper Ring.

"Well why should I be lady-like?" Toph asked, turning her attention back to her books. "It's not like I'm supposed to be rich right?"

And her badgermole father would look away, and she would laugh, not knowing that her foster father was bearing a look of shame.

Now Ma was a completely different story. Her support for Toph's endeavors seemed unwavering. Though she cared for the forest and tended to the wounds of the woods, she never failed to sneak around, looking for whatever materials Toph could use for her work. Though it was definitely hard for a full grown badgermole to go unseen throughout the city, Lady Hua always found a way to appear before Toph with a set of used brushes or ink pads. She would even bring Toph strange books that didn't even adhere to the study material.

But Toph could never have been more grateful.

When Toph arrived at school, it looked the same as always. A decent sized complex surrounded by brick walls, the school was divided into three separate buildings that were constructed against the brick walls that encircled it. The academic building was the largest one, and was at the far end of the complex. At three stories high, it towered over the school, much larger than the music or faculty buildings.

The center of the school was a wide open space laid out with stone tiles that paved their way to each of the three buildings. After that, it was just a mix of tables, chairs, and trees that students would utilize during their break hours. Earthbenders at the school liked to create their own tables and chairs just to show off, but Toph almost never gave any indication that she knew how to bend.

There was still plenty of time before the first session of class started, and Toph wandered to a slanted tree that stood just a few yards from the music room. Its branches were thin and fragile, while the leaves were just starting to form after the winter cold. It didn't provide too much shade from the rain that still poured over her, but Toph liked this tree the best. On her break, she would sit quietly besides this tree, reading her books while listening to the music from the music building besides her.

Lying against the trunk of the tree, Toph pulled out the material she was given just a few nights before. They were supposedly having a test today, and since Toph had been training hard to compete in the Earth Rumble tournament, she only remembered what the teacher had lectured about in class.

As she studied, more students began meandering onto the campus, _real _umbrellas in hand to protect them against the rain. Unlike Toph, these students, most of them boys, were either wearing customary school uniforms, or other outfits that were also clean and neat. Toph unconsciously reached for the stains on her shirt and tried covering them with her hands.

Most of the students here had learned to just ignore Toph, either too arrogant or too shy to approach such a strange girl with dirtied clothes. And as such, Toph had learned to ignore them too. The tree that Toph sat against became known as Toph's Tree, and people learned to just leave her be. The only contact that Toph had with these students was either the mocking of some of the richer girls and boys or the gossip that Toph managed to overhear.

"Hey Toph!" came the sneers of the exact people that Toph wanted to avoid at a time like this. She needed to study, and getting laughed at didn't help her concentration. "Still wearing the same old clothes I see!"

The voice belonged to the star of the school, Koman. A lanky boy of modest height, Koman bore the face of a kid who was too clever for his own good. He wore a pair of circular glasses over his brown eyes, which he often kept adjusting as if it was cool. Though he definitely wouldn't have won the most attractive award, his acceptance into the prestigious Ba Sing Se University, along with having a lot of money made him one of the most popular kids at school.

And it didn't help that Koman's common target of obnoxious insults was Toph. He loved spending whatever time that he had, reminding Toph about the money that he had, and the money that Toph didn't have. It was perhaps the most unnecessary and pathetic taunting that Toph had ever seen, but it was most effective in isolating Toph from everyone else. Who wanted to side with Toph and defend her against the boy who brought gifts? It was either that or people were just too scared to say anything.

"Leave me alone Koman," Toph muttered. "Can't you see I'm trying to study? Or are your glasses getting too hazy?"

"I can see perfectly fine," Koman pushed his glasses back into place. A few more students, friends and interested spectators gathered towards Koman and Toph. "And from what I can see, your fashion sense hasn't improved at all."

"So?" Toph focused her attention on the book, ignoring the snickers around her. "Just leave me alone. Go talk about your stupid rich people stuff somewhere else."

"I think talking about my money right here would be suitable," Koman shrugged, pulling out a stash of slips of paper. "It's a shame that you don't have that much money Toph. I would've given you one of these, but you weren't anywhere to be found yesterday."

"You bought Earth Rumble tickets?" Toph asked. "Aren't you a bit weak to the stomach to be watching the games? If I recall, last time we dissected that rabbit worm in class you practically threw up all over Ms. Fong's new skirt."

"Am not weak!" Koman cried out, his cheeks turning red as some of his friends eyed him with suspicion. "And there's nothing wrong with being an animal lover, thank you very much! And yes, I bought all of these tickets. I brought almost everyone here at this school to the Rumble games last night."

"I had better things to do than watch the games," Toph smiled to herself. _Yeah. Like actually fighting in them. _"Like studying."

"Can't see anything better than watching the games right guys?" Koman asked his friends, receiving a round of nods. "There was some splendid fighting yesterday. I think my Earthbending teacher could have learned a thing or two from those games. I think I've fallen in love too."

"Oh really?" Toph responded nonchalantly. She had no time to hear about Koman's love interests. Toph pitied the girl that had to be the object of Koman's affections. "Aren't you a bit young for Tsunami? And weak. And small?"

"I wasn't talking about her," Koman frowned. "There was a new fighter yesterday, and she did absolutely wonderful last night. No one really gave her any applause, because they were just so surprised. Didn't have the best clothes, but boy was she beautiful. What was her name again guys? That's right, the Rogue! You should've seen her last night. You might've learned a thing or two about being graceful."

Toph felt the food in her stomach go bad.

"I don't," Toph coughed a little bit. "Think that she's your type. Nor would she want to be your type."

"Nonsense!" Koman declared. "First off, I'm rich. Secondly, I already know Earthbending! We'd be great sparring buddies."

"I think with someone of that caliber," Toph murmured. "You'd be beaten in seconds. That wouldn't be attractive by the way, getting your butt whooped by a girl."

"I'd probably last a couple minutes," Koman snorted. "My dad was a great Earthbender in his day, and he's taught me a lot. I won't be surprised if I compete in the Earth Rumble after this one. Some of those preliminary fighters were just awful and pathetic!"

"More like a couple seconds," Toph yawned, staring at the sky. The rain had dropped to a slight drizzle, and the sun was preparing to burst through the clouds. Just a few more minutes before school. _Hang in there, Toph_.

"Oh, what do you know?" Koman glared. "It's not like you Earthbend at all. And who do you have to teach you? You're probably too busy picking up scrappy clothes to even consider Earthbending."

"I…I might not be able to Earthbend," Toph could barely contain her sudden anger. Her jaws clenched so tightly that it hurt and the urge to use her hidden Earthbending power was almost too great to ignore. "But even I can see that you wouldn't last seconds in a fight against any decent fighter."

"Oh did I hit a nerve there?" Koman chuckled, and his friends also laughed in response. "You can talk all you want Toph, but that's all you'll ever be. All talk and no action. Unlike me!"

"All action and no talk, I get it," Toph rolled her eyes, standing up. Any more insults from Koman and it was going to ruin what had started out as a nice day. Toph wasn't having any more of it. She closed her books. "I'm going to class."

It would be this time where Toph would expect a friend to come over and ask her why she put up with Koman all the time. The problem was that at her particular school, such sympathetic friends were little to none. Koman's circle of friends included practically the entire school, as his wealth held a good influence over everyone. Everyone was either too scared to defend Toph, too busy ignoring her, or flat out joining in on the fun.

But it wouldn't be the first time that Toph was made fun of anyway, and Toph had grown to not care, because this also was certainly not the last time she was going to hear Koman's insults.

* * *

By the time class was over, and Toph was the last person out of the room. Koman was outside showing off a few more Earthbending tricks he had learned from his dad. Toph watched as Koman sank one of his friends into the cement. Everybody, including the victim laughed as Koman flexed what could possibly be the smallest muscle Toph had ever seen from an Earthbender.

"Toph were you listening to me?" the voice of Ms. Fong, the teacher, came back to Toph's ears. "Or were you too busy daydreaming again?"

"Sorry Ms. Fong," Toph turned back quickly to the test that was lying in front her, the rapid black brush strokes indicating that she had done a poor job. Ms. Fong was sitting on the desk besides Toph, staring quizzically at the girl with eyes of sincerity. "Just got carried away, that's all."

"Toph, what am I going to do with you," Ms. Fong sighed, and Toph could hear the disappointment in her voice. "You were such a promising student, but your scores haven't been improving at the rate I'd hoped for. In fact they might've gotten worse just recently."

"I'm busy," Toph muttered. "I don't have as much time to study as I did before."

"Busy? With what?" Ms. Fong inquired, her eyes filled with curiosity. She sighed again. "Toph, you know as well as I do that I won't give you any more pity than the richest student in this class. You've already gotten the luxury of coming here for free. Don't think you'll get away from your lousy scores that easy young lady."

"Yeah," Toph nodded her head reluctantly. "I know."

Ms. Fong remained silent for a moment, as if waiting for Toph to say something. But Toph wasn't one to spill open her secrets so easily. Toph had learned long ago that those who were bound to a code, to a system, always had on multiple faces. Ms. Fong seemed like a caring teacher who wished the best for her students, but Toph could never believe it. Ms. Fong was a member of faculty, a member of a higher order who Toph knew nothing of, and Toph couldn't trust her with secrets.

"Why do you let him distract you like that, Toph?" Ms. Fong folded her legs and leaned closer, watching Toph shift uncomfortably in her seat. "I'm talking about Koman if you're just going to feign stupidity again."

"If you're not going to let me act ignorant," said Toph. "Can you just let me act defiant?"

"I get enough of that from my own daughter," Ms. Fong crossed her arms, chuckling to herself. "So no. Nice try though. At least there's still something in that head of yours."

"He's just a bully with a lot of money, and I'm just a little girl that can't fight back," Toph shrugged. "There's really nothing that I can do to be honest."

"We both know that's untrue," Ms. Fong rolled her eyes, and Toph frowned. "So don't bother telling me otherwise, because we both know a girl like you could beat any spoiled boy at this school in a fight. Even so, you could at least make the conscious effort to make some friends to help you out."

"If you haven't noticed Ms. Fong," Said Toph. "I'm not the most attractive in the friend pool. You think it's the clothes?"

"Toph," Ms. Fong glared. "I'm being serious."

"And so am I," Toph crossed her arms. "I don't make friends because I know nobody wants me as a friend because of what I am. And I let Koman distract me because he doesn't know a damn thing about me. As long as he's taunting the person that he thinks I am, I could care less."

"You're lucky that I like you or I would've sent you down to the faculty room for your language," Ms. Fong shook her head. "But even so, if your grades aren't looking so good, there's disciplinary action to be taken."

"I understand Ms. Fong," Toph grumbled. Disciplinary action at school was always tough in one form or another. Either it was extra hours with a brutal specialized tutor, or it was staying during break hours to do additional assignments and work. Both of which, Toph didn't like it. "So which it'll be? The monster or the jail cell?"

"Neither. I have something special for you," said Ms. Fong, her thin lips curving into a smile. "I'll just be setting up an appointment with your parents. The other punishments won't work, so I'll have them get you in line."

"But...but I don't have any parents!" Toph gasped. But when Ms. Fong scowled at her, Toph reconsidered her previous statement. "At least not parents you'd want to meet!"

"They can't be that bad," Ms. Fong shrugged, hopping down from the desk and walking briskly back to her desk. "I expect them here tomorrow, after school."

"Ms. Fong, I seriously think-" Toph began.

"You should run along now, Toph," Ms. Fong pulled her glasses from a gold case in front of her desk. "I have all the other tests to grade. Besides, I wouldn't want you to be late for your tournament right? I've always been rooting for Tsunami wherever she went. But what can I say? I like my rogues every once in a while. If you ever raise your scores, maybe I'll consider an autograph."

Toph stopped herself from talking, and looked up at her teacher with eyes wide open. For a full minute, Toph stood still, before realizing that she would be late to the tournament if she continued gaping at her teacher. Toph then walked out of Ms. Fong's room with a mixture of surprise and fear.

She had known! All along! And she was a fan too! Toph didn't know what to feel. Her initial reaction was to feel happy that she had one of her first fans. Her second reaction was sadness, as Ms. Fong still wasn't letting her off the hook, despite knowing about Earth Rumble.

That Ms. Fong! Every since Toph had known her, Ms. Fong had always been curious about Toph's progress as a student. In a way, Toph found it a little annoying, mildly insulted by the idea of being observed for the simple fact that she was poorer than the other students.

But in another way, Toph felt grateful that Ms. Fong treated Toph with the same ferocity as all the other students. This wasn't the first time Ms. Fong kept Toph back during class because of a failed test. There was no excuse to Ms. Fong, and failure was never an option.

Her feelings for Ms. Fong aside, Toph's feelings of surprise were then replaced by the fear of Ms. Fong's punishment. A parent conference! What was this, preliminary school? Toph panicked at the idea of Lord Okano sitting _on_ the school, listening to Ms. Fong's lecture about Toph's failing grades. Toph moaned to herself, wondering how she was going to convince her parents to come along.

Then she realized that there was no convincing, because no teacher wants a pair of badgermoles listening to a lecture about their daughter.

_There has to be another way_, Toph thought. _You can't just bring in your badgermole parents! You'd be expelled for sure once you destroyed the school!_

Toph sighed. As the stadium of the Earth Rumble games became visible in the distance, Toph found that she was becoming too overwhelmed by a sudden adrenaline to worry about how she would bring a suitable parent to a teacher conference. She would have to worry about that later, and worry about the competition up ahead.

As the cheering grew louder and more audible, Toph ran towards the stadium. In the corner of her eye, she saw Koman and friends walking towards the stadium as well, placing bets on the victor between The Rogue and Infernal.

This was going to be an interesting night.


	5. Katsui

**A/N:** Sorry this is a year late, so I'm just gonna say it briefly. Story will most likely not reflect the summary. Please enjoy another chapter of the Tales of the Gallant Rogue. Thanks for all the views/reviews. They're all greatly appreciated!

******Plot Summary:** Set before the Hundred Years War, follow a girl whose quiet life is disturbed by a band of mercenaries lead by a mysterious swordsman. As she learns of their murky pasts, we also learn of Toph, the grandmother of the greatest Earthbender alive.

**Disclaimer: **Avatar: The Last Airbender and all characters and other Avatar world details are © Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko, Viacom. No money was made from writing and publishing this fanfiction.

* * *

**5. Katsui**

"_Who was this Katsui fellow? Well, he's a hard fellow to describe, other than being known as a talented swordsman. Few people ever knew what he was truly like, though I guess the title 'The Man with a Thousand Swords' might give you a hint into his hobbies."_

_Piandao_

* * *

Few people understood the true intent of the Earth King in building a grand stadium in the Middle Ring to house a World Rumble Tournament. To some, it was seen as entertainment for a people restless and hoping for their King to bring change to the city. To others, it was seen as a revenue generator, a way to bring tourists back into Ba Sing Se, and a means to fill up the King's treasure chest. And to a few, it was seen as a degrading waste of time.

But to the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, the purpose couldn't have been anything but clever. As she peered over the games, watching reckless fighters battle it out for a grand prize of one thousand gold coins, she couldn't help but marvel at how simple it was to draw out some of the most villainous scum from the four corners of the map by simply creating a legal version of an otherwise underground activity.

The secretariat pulled out a clipboard, and began marking off the names of those she intended to see once the festivities were over and done with.

"An exiled Airbender who escaped from Earth Kingdom jail," she murmured. "A Waterbender who destroyed a convoy of bandit ships who had received the Earth King's amnesty."

"Might as well throw in a Firebender along with them, given how things are."

* * *

It was a full moon tonight, Toph realized, as she tied up her hair and pulled her white bandana over her forehead. This time, Toph ensured that her ponytail and bandana were secured tightly, assuming that it was these two elements of her appearance that probably kept Koman from noticing that the Rogue that he had so conveniently fallen for was the girl he had made fun of day in day out. After that, she strapped her two swords, which she had taken from bandits many years ago, to her waist and checked herself in the mirror.

There were still a few rounds before she was to face Infernal, so Toph headed up the winding staircase from the changing room and found herself a good empty spot in the audience. When Toph looked up, she noticed that the dome that she had hooked herself onto in her fight against Whirlwind the other day had been carved away so that the moon was visible from below.

"To all competitors," Yun, the announcer, called from his podium, as if responding to Toph's thoughts. "After careful deliberation from tournament officials, there has been a slight change in the rules. A competitor who is found standing or clinging onto _any _part of the stadium other than the arena, such as the roof, will be considered outside of the ring and will be promptly disqualified."

Toph chuckled to herself, a little honored that they had taken such drastic steps for something she had done. It would only work once anyway, Toph reassured herself. Yet, others in the crowd seemed to be less accepting of the new ruling. Some booed. Another decided to holler out "Hey, that was cool wasn't it?", and was greeted with cries of approval.

"Looks like you've made a few fans," said a voice behind Toph. "Not bad for a rookie like yourself."

When she turned, Toph was surprised to see Whirlwind, his face still bearing scratch marks and his left arm slightly bandaged, smiling at her. The sight of a famed competitor stunned her so much that when Whirlwind casually asked "Is it alright if I take a seat next to you", Toph's only response was an incoherent murmur that was only understandable through her slow nodding.

"W-what are you doing here?" Toph managed to say. "I thought most of the competitors who get eliminated leave."

"That's true," Whirlwind nodded and smiled. "But I have a bit of unfinished business that I have to attend to before getting out of here. Besides I still have a few friends who are still competing, and I'm here to watch them."

"To r-root for them, I assume?" Toph replied.

"No," Whirlwind grinned with a smug. "To watch them beat the snot out of everyone else. You're a bit new at this Rogue, so for now, I'll attribute my loss to you as a careless mistake on my part as well as your unpredictable technique. But don't think that's going to be enough to stop some of the better fighters here."

"O-of course," Toph replied quickly. "I never expected to get this f-far either, so I'm just trying my best."

"That's nice to hear," Whirlwind closed his eyes, pulled out a toothpick from the pocket of his robes, and stuffed it into his mouth. "Don't get me wrong. You're pretty good Rogue, and if we had more time, I would like to know where your style comes from, but I'd rather not give you any lessons until my buddies stomp you. So until then, I'm just a mere acquaintance who's reluctantly telling you to not get cocky. Sound good?"

Toph merely nodded and took Whirlwind's precaution to heart. He was right. With all of the complements, attention, and even attraction that certain people had been showering her, it was hard for Toph to not get overconfident in her abilities. If Toph wanted to get any farther, she would need to focus on the fight, and not the fans.

The two of them sat quietly as they observed a rather long winded match between two brawny Firebenders. As the match dragged on, Toph would often take short glimpses at the Airbender next to her, as if to remind her that she wasn't dreaming. And with each glimpse, she would take in the short hair that the exile had grown on his head, the muscles that were hidden underneath his traditional robes, and his palms that were abnormally lined with calluses.

But what Toph noticed most was Whirlwind's face that seemed to display sentiments of pity and sympathy as he watched the two fighters.

"Good grief," Whirlwind heaved a large sigh as the more muscular of the two benders blasted his opponent off the arena with a massive fireball. "I really feel sorry for him."

"That does have to hurt," Toph agreed, watching the loser struggling to rise. It reminded her of how Whirlwind had seemed like yesterday. "By the-"

"No, no, no," Whirlwind pointed at the rising Firebender. "He's lucky. It's the victor that I'm worried about. He's facing Tsunami next round."

"She's really good isn't she?" Toph asked, suddenly a little excited by the mention of another notorious figure. "I've only heard the rumors. I heard that she sunk an entire fleet of ships."

"She wouldn't have the nickname if it wasn't true," the Airbender blew out the toothpick in between his teeth, and pulled another one from his pocket. "Though the name is a lot more ironic than it sounds."

"Talking about me again?" another voice, this time female, reached Toph and her newfound Airbending acquaintance. This time, when Toph turned, she immediately needed to grab her mouth to keep her jaw from dropping in front of the woman standing behind her.

It was just like the posters had described. She stood in a blue short sleeved shirt and skirt that matched the color of her eyes. A short cape, laced with turquoise stripes and swirly Water Tribe symbols, was slung over her right shoulder and was slightly obscured by strands of long untied white hair. On her back was a massive gourd made completely of ice that was filled to the brim with water.

"Yo, Tsunami," Whirlwind tossed his head backwards to see the new arrival, spitting out his toothpick again. "Here to watch your boyfriend?"

"Say that again, and I'll redefine what it means to 'freeze your mouth'", Tsunami responded, before turning her eyes to an amazed Toph. "And who's the girl that can't keep staring? Your girlfriend? I thought monks practiced abstinence?"

"Her?" Whirlwind asked astonishingly before bursting out laughing. "Of course not. She's the Rogue. Don't you remember? She's the one that beat me in the brawl yesterday and the reason why you spent all of last night fixing me up. Or was it that you only come watch matches when Kat-ow!"

Whirlwind jolted up in his seat and spat out small sharp ice cubes that had been formed from his saliva. Toph, who had been watching Tsunami the entire time standing still with arms crossed, looked back at Whirlwind and was even more at a loss for words. It was one thing to have two infamous benders standing within close proximity of her; it was another to watch one them bend without even moving an arm.

"Ladies and gentleman!" Yun called, having returned to his announcer's position after the brief intermission between rounds. "One of the last matches of the night and probably one of the great stories of the tournament. Tonight, we will find out if the last nonbender in the tournament will advance into the final four!"

"On one end," Yun bellowed. "He's the prince of the North, who has come to this tournament to show us the support of the Northern Tribes. Or does he have some other ambition in mind? He is the pride of the Northern Waterbenders. Please welcome, Prince Hong!"

A roar sounded as a brown haired man, dressed in smooth silky clothing that was lined with wolf's fur, walked onto the stage. He had fierce looking eyes, a broad nose, and a jaw that was outlined by a recently shaved mustache and beard. Around his waist were at least a dozen pouches holding water, and in his hands was a staff, emblemizing his royal stature.

"And on the other," Yun paused for a moment to build the suspense. "He's the wonder of the rumble. The only nonbender to have not been eliminated. He's the Man with a Thousand Weapons! You should already know his name by now. It's Katsui!"

The man who walked opposite Prince Hong was wearing nothing that would have garnered the applause of a king, but the crowd's near unbearable applause seemed to suggest otherwise. His face was covered slightly by a bamboo hat, and his body was clothed in nothing else but a simple beige oversized jacket, a pair of leather pants, and black shoes. Hanging from his waist, like Toph, were two sheathed swords. His black hair was tied back in a ponytail.

Toph watched the two square off in the middle of the arena as the crowd's applause reached its climax. As the audience began to quiet down, the two of them continued their silent stances. It was only when the noise had settled completely that Prince Hong broke their standoff.

"You know the deal," the prince drew his hand and pointed accusingly at his opponent. His voice was deep and penetrating. "If I win, you hand Tsunami over to me for marriage."

"He's gambling again and now he's using you as a bargaining chip? What kind of guy is that?" Whirlwind whispered, his eyes casting the Waterbender behind him a skeptical look. Toph, seemingly out of the loop, could do nothing but listen to the crowd's excitement at a potential romantic ordeal. "Did he tell you about this?"

"He doesn't tell anyone about his deals," Tsunami shook her head, her fingers gripped a bit tighter on her crossed arms. "Oh whatever. I can't do anything about it now. I don't expect him to lose anyway."

"That's fine with me!" the man called as Katsui lifted his bamboo hat, revealing a pair of determined eyes. "Because by the time I'm done with you, your hand won't be ready for marriage for months."

"Don't you know?" the prince retorted, laughing as he made his rebuttal. "Tonight's a full moon. Tsunami and I both draw our strength from it. It's when we Waterbenders are at our strongest, where we're nearly unbeatable. You chose the wrong day to make empty threats at me, boy."

"Try me," Katsui called back, placing both of his hands on his unsheathed swords. "I'm not afraid of a man who trembles before a woman. Especially a woman whose name he can't even remember."

"That's my line!" Toph almost shouted it out, yet kept her outburst to a loud whisper. "Why is he stealing my line? I know it's still a bit suitable in this position, but still! It's my line!"

"Don't worry," Whirlwind waved his hands nonchalantly in the air. "It's not like it was a great line anyway, especially if Katsui takes it."

"Don't tell me I didn't warn you!" Hong roared as he placed his staff on his back, snapped open the caps to his pouches of water and held his hands steadily over them. "Here I come!"

In a single motion, the prince sent a flurry of ice shards towards Katsui. The crowd cheered him on, as Hong sent another volley of crystalline projects soaring at the swordsman. With his swords still hanging loosely at his side, Katsui shifted to the right, dodged the shards nimbly and effortlessly, and made Hong's attack look like a pitiful misuse of time.

Then, in a burst of speed that Toph hadn't seen before, Katsui closed the distance between himself and his opponent in the blink of an eye. Katsui grabbed his swords, still wrapped in their scabbards, and lashed out first with his right arm. The blow would have been enough to shatter a bone, and was only deflected as the prince wisely drew his staff to block the attack.

"He's fast," Toph whispered in amazement, watching as Katsui used his speed and momentum to swing his second sword towards Hong's abdomen. "Almost inhumanly fast."

"He has to be fast," Tsunami replied with a hint of pride in her tone. Then in a softer tone that Toph didn't catch. "That's what he does."

As Katsui's swing raced towards the prince's stomach, Hong only had a matter of milliseconds to bring up a small wall of ice to minimize the impact of the attack. As the ice shattered, Hong used the opportunity to hop back to regain the comfortable distance he had between himself and Katsui, the strike having barely grazed his waist. He then followed up his move with another wave of ice and formed a water whip with his right arm, still holding a shaking staff in his left.

"What's the matter?" Katsui called out monotonously as Hong's attacks harmlessly flew past him. "Scared of a little hand to hand combat? What happened to your infamous moonlight invincibility?"

After seeing the look of a disgruntled and uncomfortable prince, Katsui resumed his charge, his two swords still in their casings. This time, Hong attempted to stall Katsui by lashing out with his whip, targeting the swordsman's legs. Unfazed by the attempt, Katsui threw the sheathed sword in his right hand towards Hong's chest. Hong deflected the throw with his staff, sending the sword spiraling high behind the prince.

As the prince was busy thwarting the throw, Katsui flicked his right wrist, revealing a small dagger that was hidden in the sleeves, and flung it at Prince Hong's Waterbending hand. Unable to block the blade with his preoccupied left, Hong pulled his right hand back, relinquishing control of the water whip that had nearly wrapped themselves around Katsui's legs and allowing the water to sink into the soil.

"Wow," Toph's mumbled, her eyes having barely followed Katsui's subtle move. "How many weapons does this guy have?"

"Too many to count. Keep watching," Whirlwind muttered. "You haven't seen half of it yet."

Once again, Katsui was face to face with the prince of the Northern Water Tribe. Prince Hong, hoping to gain some leverage by standing firm, swung his staff to catch Katsui in the jaw. In response, Katsui moved his free hand beneath his bamboo hat, and drew another short knife from underneath the hat. Clutching the blade tightly, Katsui blocked Hong's full strength with only a thin steel knife. Skidding back slightly, the warrior slowed Hong's strike to a halt, much to the fear and surprise that now shined brightly in the prince's eyes.

With that momentary pause, Katsui flipped his knife back into his sleeves and slid his hand over Hong's royal staff. He then jammed the still encased sword in his left hand into Hong's right shoulder to prevent the man from bending any more water, and twisted the staff to wrench it away from the prince, leaving Hong's left hand exposed.

It was at this very moment that the sword that had been spiraling in the air found its way back towards the ground. As if expecting this, Katsui reached out, grabbed the weapon with his open right, and plunged Hong's left hand, specifically the man's ring finger, into the floor with a bone crushing smash.

Screams of pain echoed through the chamber but were quickly washed away by the crowd's incessant chant of "Katsui! Katsui!" The supposed victor then hopped back, and raised his hand as if to motion the crowd to stop its cheers.

"I have three things to say to you, prince," Katsui spoke firmly as the crowd died down once more, placing an emphasis on the word prince. "The first is that, as I promised, your left hand will not be able to wear any rings for the next few months."

"The second," Katsui continued . "Is that now you can leave this place knowing that a nonbender was able to beat you, during a full moon, without having once drawn his blade."

"The last one is simplest," Katsui finished. "Stay away from my women."

"Tch," Tsunami turned her back on the arena and walked bristly towards the exit to the stadium. "What a bunch of lame lines. He must be so full of it now, thinking he's so smart and everything. And who says I was his woman? And wait, did he say women? Why I ought to-"

"You're only saying that because you actually like it!" Whirlwind called after her. "You'd think she'd be a bit more honest sometimes. Hey, Rogue, you listening?"

"T-that was amazing," Toph responded quietly, clearly having not listened.

"Yeah," Whirlwind leaned back again and spit out his splintered toothpick. "That's what most people say when they watch him for the first time."

Toph still wasn't listening. She was already replaying the match a hundred times over in her head, memorizing the strokes, the movements, and the patterns that Katsui had used to so deftly take out what seemed like an otherwise powerful opponent. After careful analysis, Toph determined which strokes and moves she could incorporate into her fighting style without sacrificing her Earthbending.

_He was so clean_, Toph thought. _Not a single move was wasted. His swordsmanship is nothing like the clumsy strokes that I've so far learned. And the way that he disarmed Hong's bending by targeting his arms! That's something I might have to consider and look out for. _

"Hey," Whirlwind looked back at Toph quizzically. "I hope you know that you're still fighting tonight."

As if on cue, Yun's voice boomed through the stadium announcing the final match of the evening, and Toph awoke from her temporary trance. She turned to Whirlwind and responded with a series of rapid fire nods before bursting down the seats back towards her changing room.

"Rogue! Wait up!" Whirlwind called. When Toph turned, Whirlwind smiled and held up his right thumb. "Whatever happens out there, good luck."

Toph smiled, nodded once more, and dashed down the staircase.

* * *

Infernal stared into the mirror. The Firebender's face was covered by a painted wooden mask and a hood. The only skin that wasn't covered by Infernal's dark top and pants were a pair of slender arms that stretched from the short sleeved shirt and feet that slipped nicely into sandals.

The sound of applause, followed by the distant echoes of footsteps, reached Infernal's ears. As Katsui descended from the top of the staircase and looked at the Firebender, Infernal stood up, acknowledging that it was time to go.

"Did you find it?" Katsui asked.

"Yes," said Infernal in a gruff voice, taking out a slip of paper. "I have the map too. By the way, Secretariat Lai said she wanted to speed up the tournament. She must be getting ready to make her move."

"Then let's disappear before she sends her lackeys after us," Katsui took a quick look at what Infernal had drawn before slipping the note into his pocket. "Give the Rogue a couple of minutes and then get out. According to this schematic, we'll probably be done in no more than five minutes."

"Should I go all out?" Infernal asked. "When you told Whirlwind to just test the waters with her-"

"Don't worry about her anymore," Katsui looked back at Infernal and grinned. "I've already decided that she's competent. She won't lose easily if you just intend on dragging out the match for us."

"Now it's just a matter of getting her to join in on all of our fun."

* * *

**A/N: **The plot is heating up I feel! I really like keeping the pace of the story short however. This way it feels less rushed and confusing.

Thanks for reading!


	6. Playing With Fire

**Plot Summary: **Set before the Hundred Years War, follow a girl whose quiet life is disturbed by a band of mercenaries lead by a mysterious swordsman. As she learns of their murky pasts, we also learn of Toph, the grandmother of the greatest Earthbender alive.

**Disclaimer:**Avatar: The Last Airbender and all characters and other Avatar world details are © Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko, Viacom. No money was made from writing and publishing this fanfiction.

**A/N:** Sorry this is a year late, so I'm just gonna say it briefly. Story will most likely not reflect the summary. Please enjoy another chapter of the Tales of the Gallant Rogue. Thanks for all the views/reviews. They're all greatly appreciated!

_As an extra note: If anyone has noticed, in the new Legend of Korra trailer as well as concept art that was shown at SDCC, it showed what appeared to be a bender tournament…where all benders could attend…Does it ring any bells here?_

Oops. Reposted.

* * *

**6. Playing With Fire**

"_The Grand Secretariat's plan was spectacularly put together. Too bad there were a few who easily saw through her seemingly honest intentions."_

_Dai Li historical records_

* * *

As Infernal left the room, Katsui headed back up the winding staircase that led towards the stands in the audience. The large roar of the crowd signaled that both Toph and Infernal were walking to face each other on opposite ends of the stadium. The announcer was now making his opening remarks amongst an audience that was more intent on setting bids on the victor. This time, there were a few that landed heavy money on the Earthbender, much to Katsui's surprise.

When Katsui reached the top, he headed down the stands to reach the empty front row seats, which were often abandoned in favor of the higher and safer seats. There, he saw Whirlwind comfortably chewing on his usual wooden toothpick, his arms stretched out over his roomy seat. Tsunami wasn't there. Katsui simply assumed that Whirlwind had angered her enough to storm out of the stadium, which was all the better for him.

"Haven't I told you?" Katsui asked as he approached the Airbender. "Stop chewing on that toothpick. You don't look good at all when you do that."

"This is how I keep myself from smoking," Whirlwind remarked, before spitting out the small sliver of wood in favor of a dry new one. "At least I've been off it for at least a month, so be happy I'm not stinking up your clothes. Imagine an Airbender without clean lungs. They'd kill me if they knew."

"The irony isn't it?" Katsui grinned, before turning a serious eye towards a certain Earthbender on the stadium. "Are you ready?"

"I wanted to stay behind to watch, but it's not like Infernal is planning on winning right?"

"How's our new recruit?"

"It'll be hard for her to fit in," Whirlwind noted.

"Says the exiled Airbender trying to make a living off of fighting," Katsui remarked.

"She's too timid," Whirlwind took a look at Katsui before returning his attention to the stadium. "Plus she's young, probably even younger than Infernal by the looks of it. That'll make her the youngest in the group. Do you seriously want to pick her up, especially since she's inexperienced?"

"She isn't inexperienced. She's just untrained," Katsui admitted. "There's a difference. She knows how to fight. She just has never fought for real before. And besides, we could use another girl in the group. Even you're not that much older than her, and you're older than all of us."

"Then let me rephrase it for you since I don't want to spell it out for you later," Whirlwind turned himself to face Katsui completely, his eyes surprisingly calm and passive for his tone. "I. Don't. Approve. Of. This. Decision. There are tons of Earthbenders who are better candidates than her. I hear there's an amazing prodigy in Omashu-"

"There's no one that's going to be better than her and you know it," Katsui interrupted. "So she's a little rough around the edges, and she's a bit naïve for trying to use swordplay while Earthbending against decent opponents. But she's innovative, she's got potential, and if anything else, she's always thinking."

"I will not let you, most of all you," Whirlwind replied. "Let an innocent young girl get involved with our schemes. This is completely irresponsi-"

"Tell you what," Katsui sighed and placed his hands in his pockets, revealed a six sided die, and spun it in his palm. "How about we have a bet to settle this? If I roll a six, we go with what I say. Any other number and I'll concede."

"You're willing to put whether or not we take her in as our own on a gamble?" Whirlwind eyed the swordsman with suspicion. He crossed his arms, pondering for a bit, before throwing up his hands in defeat and sticking another toothpick between his two front teeth. "Go for it."

"You never learn do you," Katsui sighed once more and tossed the die. "I'm just not the gambling type."

Whirlwind turned his head suspiciously at the spinning cube. The cube arced in a small curve before landing in the Airbender's lap.

As Katsui had hoped, a number six was carved onto the top face of the stone cube. Of course, when Whirlwind picked up the cube to inspect it, every other side of the die had the same number etched on its faces. The Airbender scowled for a moment, then shook his head before biting his lip as if to hold back a laugh.

"Unless, you know," Katsui shrugged. "I have absolutely no chance of losing."

"Now let's go. We shouldn't keep Infernal waiting."

* * *

Toph very soon realized that staring back at Infernal's mask was much scarier than staring at a real face. It would be only be much later that Toph would realize that she wasn't intimidated just because Infernal's identity was hidden behind a mask painted with a combination of black and red, but also because of the air of confidence surrounding Infernal on the stadium. Before the fight had begun, the undefeated Agni Kai specialist stood, hands in pockets, unmoving and unresponsive to the cheering environment.

When the fight started, Toph found herself against a relentless opponent who, unlike Whirlwind, was all too willing to show a mastery of hand to hand combat. With a flurry of graceful moves that were followed by streaks of fire that flashed from Infernal's feet and hands, Toph found herself only keeping up by maintaining a safe and comfortable distance from her opponent. Her swords had stayed undrawn at her side because Toph wasn't fast enough to draw them. Her bandana flapped up and down, and Toph could've sworn there were singe marks along the white cloth.

Toph pressed her bandana firmly against her forehead and breathed heavily. It wasn't just the attacks that were filled with scorching heat; the very air around Infernal seemed to have grown unbearably warmer as the match continued. Yet the intensity of Infernal's attacks was still reserved and basic for a supposedly infamous Firebender. That told Toph that Infernal had yet to showcase higher tier Firebending and that frightened her the most.

Infernal closed in again. Toph took a few sizable steps back and launched a trio of boulders to slow her opponent's advance. When that didn't work, Toph threw her hands forward and columns of earth spiraled their way towards the Firebender. Nimbly dodging in and out of them, Infernal countered with a kick that unleashed a powerful fireball in Toph's direction. Toph threw up a wall just in time for the flames to wash over the rocks.

But as quickly as Toph had thrown up the wall to protect herself, Infernal, with a burst of speed, skidded behind the wall and lunged towards Toph.

_He's fast_. _Toph realized. Almost as fast as Katsui…_

With so little time to think, Toph stepped back as the Firebender threw out a punch, fire surging forth from her fingertips and barely missing Toph's left ear. For a moment, Toph felt that the punch was too soft and had been weaker than the ones before. It took her one second too late to recognize that her opponent's attack was a feint.

As Toph leaned back from Infernal's blow, the Firebender's right arm arced in a circle away from Toph. As the arm wrapped itself around the Firebender's waist, Infernal's body swung with the momentum and sent a left foot flying towards Toph's now exposed cheek.

With little time to waste, Toph brought up her two fists to meet Infernal's foot. The strike slammed Toph's fists back into her cheek and sent Toph flying back towards the other side of the stage. The crowd gasped as their dark horse in the tournament crashed into the ground and rolled towards the edge of the circle. When Toph recovered and faced Infernal clinging to the stadium on all fours, many in the crowd cheered her on. "Don't give up! You can do it!" they cried.

Panting and feeling the bruisers forming on her hands, Toph suddenly realized that her left arm was numb and no longer responding to her commands. Instead, her hand, fingers, and forearm shook violently as if every fiber of her left arm had seen a horrific aberration.

Gripping her shaking arm tightly, Toph turned her attention back to Infernal as quickly as possible, and readied herself for her opponent's imminent blow. None came. Infernal merely stood still in the middle of the stadium, a broken wall made of rock behind and a limping Toph standing in front. Before, Toph might have assumed that Infernal was taking a quick breath before resuming the attack. Toph knew better now. Infernal had merely changed strategies.

_He's going to finish this, Toph thought. He's going to finish this now._

Toph braced herself, bending her knees and holding her still functional right arm in front of her. At any given moment, Toph was ready to use her left arm as a shield in order to switch the momentum over to her side. She was ready to throw up walls, trap Infernal, or even dive underground to catch her opponent off guard.

But much to Toph's surprise, along with everyone else in the audience, Infernal didn't attack. There was no Firebending spectacle or a final charge. Instead, the Firebender raised merely an index finger and pointed it straight at Toph.

The crowd held their breaths and grew silent. Everyone was thinking along similar lines. _Was Infernal about to say something? Is he going to take off his mask?_ _What's the point of even raising an index finger?_

And then it happened in an instant. Infernal pointed the finger towards the floor and the stadium and its crowd found itself blinded by an unbearable light. As the spectators turned away, Toph threw an earth tent over herself, but not before she saw what was the beginning of a massive inferno. The ground beneath Infernal exploded and enveloped the Firebender in a sea of flames so large that Toph could feel the intense blaze char the outside of her tent and spill over into the empty front seats of the audience.

Though it only lasted seconds, it seemed like a minute before Toph could finally let down an earth tent that was steaming and falling apart. The rest of the arena had been charred black and smoke rose through the open roof of the stadium. The crowd, looking confused at what just happened, quickly turned their attention to the stage, to see that Infernal had disappeared in the aftermath of the explosion. Some even started wildly speculating that the undefeated Agni Kai prodigy had committed suicide in a final attempt at stardom.

It was then that tournament officials arrived to report that the prize money of one thousand gold coins had been stolen.

It was also reported that all but one of the remaining competitors could be found, and he was already unconscious with a bag of fifty gold pieces in his hands. There were traces, officials said, of bandits having robbed him after he had left the tournament with the gold he had stolen. Every other competitor was immediately disqualified for not checking in with the registrar before leaving as required by the rules.

Tournament officials declared Toph the official winner almost immediately afterwards.

She was given fifty gold coins in a leather pouch for her participation, and Yun escorted her out before the crowd could fully realize what had just happened.

* * *

_Why am I doing this?_ That was all that Yun thought while he occasionally thumbed the hilt of his sword to signal the pocket thieves to back off.

Once again, twice in a week now, Yun was walking Toph down the streets of the Lower City. This time, Yun knew the road and stayed next to Toph, who occasionally limped and shifted her left shoulder uncomfortably. Toph had remained silent for the most part, staring at her fifty gold pieces tied in a bag in her hands.

Their silence persisted, even when Toph came to the guards at Ba Sing Se's walls. When they asked if there was anything wrong with the "young lady", Yun merely answered that she was tired after winning a tournament. After the guards nodded understandingly and gave quick congratulatory remarks to Toph, opened the gates and proceeded to allow Toph and Yun through the small crack between the walls.

Yun, for the most part, thought that he had a tiny understanding of what Toph was going through. She was doing well, fighting well. Even against Infernal, while wounded, it didn't seem like a complete mismatch. Though the odds were slim, Toph could've pulled a longer brawl and won. The crowd acknowledged and cheered for that pure fighting spirit.

And here comes a band of robbers that steals away what Toph had been fighting for, a chance to make herself proud and gain some respect from those around her. It left a sour taste in the mouth, being called a champion of tournament where the favorites of the tournament were simply disqualified and giving Toph no chance to prove herself.

_She must be taking it really hard, seeing how silent she is, Yun realizes. _

"Yun," Toph spoke softly all of a sudden. "What do I do?"

"Uh," Yun responds as he is hit by mild shock. Thinking quickly of what to say to a girl in distress, he quickly blurted out. "I guess once the tournament officials catch the robbers we'll have a good idea of how to get all the money back and get the tournament back up and running."

"That's not what I meant," Toph shook her head and held the bag of coins to Yun. "I've never had any money before. At most I had a few copper coins to purchase some vegetables for Ma. Nothing like this. I don't know what do with it."

Yun froze in surprise. He had misunderstood her. Yun stared at Toph, who gazed back at him with eyes that told him she had little idea of what she was given.

_Of course I misunderstood her, Yun thought_. _It's hard to sympathize with a girl who was raised by badgermoles after all._

"Well," Yun chuckled nervously, scratching his head. "If you know how to use coins, that's all you need to know if you want to buy anything. It's just that gold has a lot more worth than copper. Though since I guess fifty gold coins is a lot for any one girl, you can try to save some of it in the bank and let it build interest for you."

"What's interest?" Toph asked.

"Don't mind that for now then. Maybe I can take you to a bank someday," Yun suggested, only to regret it after he had said it. Did he really want to get involved with her?

"Oh, okay. We should definitely do that," Toph looked confused for a moment and returned her gaze to the bag of coins in front of her. Then in a mild but excited whisper she said. "Now I can finally buy some school clothes."

_And I misunderstood her again, Yun realized_. Through all of the fighting, jokes, and toughness that Toph showed on the arena, Yun had easily forgotten that at the bottom of it all, Toph was just a girl. To go to a high class school with dirty shirts, torn skirts, and broken stationaries must have been embarrassing for her. Yun felt a bit sad at the mere thought of it, but was nonetheless touched by Toph's honest intentions.

_Was that your big reason in joining this tournament Toph?_

"Are you going to school tomorrow as you are now?" Yun thought aloud.

"Yes," Toph nodded, shaking both of her arms as to loosen them. "I can't miss school just because of this. I'll never get stronger and beat someone as good as Infernal if I let just one kick get to me."

"You took quite a beating from that kick," Yun replied worriedly. "Are you sure you aren't too hurt to continue?"

"It doesn't take too much effort to sit down and pay attention," Toph answered. "Besides, I have a…"

Toph trailed off for a moment, and Yun didn't hear the last part of her sentence. But what Yun did see was Toph's eyes widening as she suddenly grabbed her head and moaned loudly.

_The parent teacher conference._

"I totally forgot," Toph shook her head and slapped her cheeks. "I completely forgot. What is Ms. Fong going to say to me tomorrow after she finds out?"

"Find out what?" Yun asked.

Toph turned to Yun as if she hadn't noticed he was there. Her eyes widened even more at the sight of him, her exasperated expression turned into a sly smile, and once again Yun suspected that he was getting more involved with someone than he intended to.

"Yun," Toph asked innocently. "What do you feel about being a parent for a day?"

* * *

_Just one more day of these clothes and I'll have Yun take me to shop for new ones!_

The next morning, Toph bounced happily to school. Her left arm had stopped shaking, but the rest of her body was still sore from the fight. So rather than taking a longer route that passed through a number of beautiful flower gardens and shops, Toph took the monorail with many other students directly to school. She had overslept, so the rail was a lot more crowded than she was used to. Koman sat in the back of the bus, complaining how he wanted his money back after a pathetic tournament ending.

"Of course, I'm glad my beloved Rogue won the entire thing. She totally deserved," Koman puffed out his chest as if to look handsome in the off chance that the Rogue was somewhere in the vicinity. "But we got left out of two to three more good fights. Is that what I was paying for?"

Toph squirmed uncomfortably in her chair and made sure to keep as quiet as possible. The bruises on her fists were clearly visible, and she didn't want Koman to get any ideas as to how she got them. The revelation that she was Koman's new love interest would only be awkward and would probably scar Koman for life.

She kept her hands in her pockets while the monorail stopped and didn't take them out until she reached Ms. Fong's classroom, where she was forced to unsling her bag and take out her homework assignments that she had miraculously finished after convincing Yun to be an interim parent for just one day.

"Okay class, you don't need take out your books just yet," Ms. Fong clapped her hands to signal the class's attention. "That's because today, we have two new students who have transferred into the school, and we should pay our respects and greet them into the class. You guys can come in now."

The door to the classroom opened, and the two new students walked briskly in. It was a boy and a girl. At the sight of them, Toph ducked her face behind the tall kid in front of her. Her face turned pale, shocked at the probability of those two joining the same school as her. She peeked out once again to make sure.

The boy wasn't wearing the bamboo hat that he had worn yesterday, and the hair that he had tied in a short ponytail was now loose and at his shoulders. His oversized jacket and leather pants were replaced by customary Earth Kingdom school uniforms. The two scabbards at his waist were gone, but he did hold a backpack in his hand in a clumsy fashion.

The girl's white hair had been dyed black. The turquoise cape that was covered with Water Tribe symbols was no longer strung around her neck. Behind her back was no longer a gourd filled with water, but instead a light green bag slung over her shoulder. Her jade colored dress seemed a bit too formal for a school, but there wasn't a single guy in the room that couldn't look away at her beautiful figure.

To every other student, the pair looked exotic. None of them claimed to have known or seen them before. None of them realized that the same competitors who had mysteriously disappeared the night before were now standing in front of them.

"Katsui and Tsunami," Toph murmured quietly. As she peeked out more, Katsui tossed a quick glance at her and winked. Toph retreated back behind the tall kid, her cheeks turning red.

"What in spirits name are you doing here?"

* * *

**A/N: **As I get into Tokka Week, I'll try my best to update this. :)


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